Electronic Business articles from February 2000

Electronic Business archives from February 2000

Prodding, instead of predictions.(Industry Trend or Event)(Column)
February 1, 2000... In January and February each year, many editors hold forth on their predictions for the upcoming year; or this time it could be the coming year, decade, century or millennium. I've never felt the need to position myself as an industry seer--I'm...

Letters.(Letter to the Editor)
February 1, 2000... HOT ON HIRING I read Tam Harbert's December 1999 article on hiring top talent (Business Trends: Management section, "So, here's why you want to work here," page 56) with great interest. I could not agree more. In our role as product...

A new appliance era.(Industry Trend or Event)
February 1, 2000... As microprocessors enter their fourth decade, a huge change is afoot. The great divide between embedded applications and computers is being breached, as information appliances deliver access to digital media while maintaining the dedicated...

Strong output gains expected for electronics in 2000.(Industry Trend or Event)
February 1, 2000... In last month's "Economic Outlook" we took a look at recent trends in shipment values for a number of important electronics end markets. This month we'll look at trends for those same end-market industries, but from a production/output...

Dollars and sense.(Industry Trend or Event)
February 1, 2000... Companies should heed new revenue recognition guidelines New guidelines on how to properly report revenue were issued in a bulletin in December 1999 by the staff of the U.S. Office of the Chief Accountant and the Division of Corporation...

ROI winners and losers.(Company Financial Information)
February 1, 2000... Dell and PMC-Sierra are stellar performers Investors in Dell Computer Corp., Round Rock, TX, must never tire of hearing how well their company manages inventory. Thanks go to Dell's streamlined build-to-order model, allowing it to keep low...

Optimism abounds.(Industry Trend or Event)
February 1, 2000... This month's survey of purchasing managers is the most optimistic that this analyst can remember. Half of all respondents believe that overall business conditions will improve. Many companies believe that Y2K is just a distant memory. So now...

Hunting the elusive growth engine.(Industry Trend or Event)
February 1, 2000... When a high-tech company's sales start to plateau-be it due to changes in demand, technology, competition or even market saturation--the pressure is on to identify the next engine for growth. It can be a time characterized by anxiety, fear and...

Chinese checkers.(Product Announcement)
February 1, 2000... Congress will ultimately determine whether China's entry into the World Trade Organization is good news for electronics China's entry into the World Trade Organization has the potential to bring a treasure trove of goodies to the high-tech...

Getting one's day in court.(Company Business and Marketing)
February 1, 2000... Legal battles between Cadence and Avant! drag on and on Silicon Valley court-watchers better not hold their breath for the final outcomes of the civil and criminal cases between Avant! Corp., Sunnyvale, CA, and Cadence Design Systems Inc.,...

North America won't lead on lead-free.(Industry Trend or Event)
February 1, 2000... The move to lead-free electronics could cost PCB industry billions The electronics industry is quickly approaching the April 2000 target date for alloy suppliers to provide a short list of lead-free alternatives. This date was set at the...

Nokia continues to dominate cell phone market.(Company Financial Information)
February 1, 2000... Top cell phone maker, Nokia Corp., Helsinki, enjoyed a 6% increase in cellular handset market share for 1999, according to a recent report from market researcher IC Insights, Scottsdale AZ. The company's ability to stay on the leading edge of...

Money talks.(Industry Trend or Event)
February 1, 2000... And the computer industry wants more of a say Issues such as the U.S. Justice Department's antitrust lawsuit against Microsoft Corp., as well as legislation on Y2K liability and "cybersquatting," caused a dramatic upswing in campaign...

Embedded processors are in control.(Technology Information)
February 1, 2000... The increased popularity of DVD players, cellular phones, palm top computers, digital organizers and other gadgets has meant a boom for the embedded controller/processor market. The Information Network, a New Tripoli, PA-based research firm...

Safe keeping.(software escrow)(Company Business and Marketing)
February 1, 2000... More companies turn to escrow to protect their IP Tellme Networks Inc., Palo Alto, CA, hopes it will never face an intellectual property (IP) lawsuit. But just in case, the start-up company has taken the previously unusual step of placing...

Distribution's 'Net threat.(Company Business and Marketing)
February 1, 2000... One connector maker dumps distributors in favor of online direct sales. Arrow Electronics Inc. and Avnet Inc. aren't quaking in their boots yet, but perhaps they ought to be at least paying attention to the Internet sales strategy adopted...

Free rides on the information superhighway.(Company Business and Marketing)
February 1, 2000... Companies decide how much personal use of corporate Internet connections is too much Online sales over the holidays reached an estimated $6 billion. Guess how much of that was ordered by your employees during company time via office...

Optimizing electronic assembly.(Industry Trend or Event)
February 1, 2000... Electronic gadgets are flying onto the market at an unprecedented pace; one model that is hot today is easily outdated tomorrow. Assembly at the speed of change is crucial for electronics OEMs who want to survive. Yet, manufacturing still...

The foibles of 'FREE' CODE.(Product Information)
February 1, 2000... OPEN SOURCE CODE CARRIERS BENEFITS AND RISKS -- USERS SHOULD TAKE CARE TO UNDERSTAND THE ISSUES MOMMA ALWAYS SAID, "If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is." Open source code is getting a lot of attention these days. It's...

LET THE GOOD TIMES ROLL.(Industry Trend or Event)
February 1, 2000... For top-line executives in the high-tech industry, it doesn't get any better than this Is capitalism great, or what? As the electronics industry enters the 21st Century, its executives could hardly imagine a better job market. ...

COPPER CONNECTION.(Technology Information)
February 1, 2000... The SEMICONDUCTOR INDUSTRY has accepted the need to SWITCH from ALUMINUM TO COPPER INTERCONNECTS in chip manufacturing. But it's a BUMPY ROAD to the promiser land. TALK TO ANY SEMICONDUCTOR INDUSTRY EXECUTIVE or expert and they'll tell you...

LITTLE powerhouse.(RF Micro)(Technology Information)
February 1, 2000... RF Micro Devices rushed in where others feared to tread to become a leader in chips for mobile phones By rights, RF MICRO DEVICES INC. should never have emerged as an independent business, let alone succeeded so well. But thanks to the...

SHRINK WRAPPED.(chip packages)(Technology Information)
February 1, 2000... Innovative packaging technologies abound. But which packagers have the waterfront property? A great symbol of the digital age is the image of the chip, enclosed in a ceramic or plastic package with metal pins protruding from its edges....

CONSULTING DEMONS: INSIDE THE UNSCRUPULOUS WORLD OF GLOBAL CONSULTING.(Review)
February 1, 2000... A former consultant's tale of greed and espionage CONSULTING DEMONS: INSIDE THE UNSCRUPULOUS WORLD OF GLOBAL CONSULTING By Lewis Pinault HarperBusiness $26,228 pages It might be time to consider a lifestyle change after...

WORLD VIEW: GLOBAL STRATEGIES FOR THE NEW ECONOMY.(Company Business and Marketing)
February 1, 2000... WORLD VIEW: GLOBAL STRATEGIES FOR THE NEW ECONOMY Edited by Jeffrey E. Garten Harvard Business School Press January 24, 2000 $29.95, 340 pages International business managers, both readers and non-readers of the Harvard...

Why do we need standards anyway?(Technology Information)
February 1, 2000... A recent full-page ad in the New York Times promoting network services from Bell Atlantic showed nine different kinds of connectors. It wasn't intended as an indictment of the American telecommunications industry. But in a way, it did the job...